Two children hold pictures of Bloody Sunday victims James Wray and William McKinney during a vigil in West Belfast Northern Ireland
A bloody outrage: Veterans’ fury as former British soldier WILL be charged with murder over Bloody Sunday shootings while IRA terrorists ‘are cleansed of crimes’ – as ex-Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams vows to protest tonight ‘in solidarity with victims’ families’
British military veterans have slammed the double standards they say are being applied to the Troubles – which today saw a former paratrooper charged with murder while IRA terrorists go free.
It was announced today that a former serviceman, named only as ‘Soldier F’, will stand trial for the murders of two men during the Bloody Sunday shooting in 1972 and the attempted murders of four others.
The prosecution has sparked a political row, with Armed Forces groups saying soldiers who served their country are facing investigation while IRA members avoid action under so-called ‘comfort letters’.
Alan Barry, founder of Justice for Northern Ireland Veterans, said: ‘Under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, veterans are being left open to prosecution while terrorists have been cleansed of their past crimes.’
At the same time as Soldier F’s prosecution was announced this morning, authorities revealed that two alleged Official IRA members would face no criminal action.
In the wake of this morning’s landmark decision to prosecute the soldier, MPs accused the government of failing to do enough to protect those who fought in the Army.
Former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams waded into the row this afternoon, saying more soldiers should be prosecuted and throwing his weight behind a protest just over the Irish border in Dundalk.
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Youths confront British soldiers minutes before paratroopers opened fire killing 14 civilians on what became known as Bloody Sunday
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Fresh graffiti appeared today on the ‘Free Derry’ road sign after the announcement by Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service that only one former paratrooper is to be prosecuted
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John Kelly, whose 17-year-old brother Michael was shot dead, and Alana Burke, who was injured, react to the decision
Soldier F is one of 17 former members of the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment who were investigated over the violence which left 13 people dead in Londonderry in 1972.
The sixteen other British military veterans who were investigated over Bloody Sunday will not face action, it was announced this morning.
Soldier F is now thought to be in his 70s and faces trial for the alleged murders of James Wray and William McKinney and the alleged attempted murders of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O’Donnell.
Critics of the decision point out that around 200 IRA fugitives, thought to be behind a series of terror attacks during the Troubles, were sent so-called ‘comfort letters’, assuring them they were no longer suspects.